LIHUE — Kumu Sabra Kauka will open The National Day of Prayer on Thursday at the Moikeha Building.
Presented by the Interfaith Roundtable of Kauai (IROK) in collaboration with Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami and the Office of the Mayor, the National Day of Prayer will take place from 11 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. and is open to all, said Steve Backinoff, co-chair of the IROK.
“Many faiths and spiritual paths will present short pieces affirming our common goals of living in a safe, healthy, cooperative community that meets everyone’s needs for housing, education, water, transportation, and connection,” said Backinoff. This symbolizes a lei where each of the ‘short pieces’ are the elements that, when combined, form the lei of prayer.
“This Thursday, May 1, is Lei Day, a statewide holiday when we select beauty from nature and use our creativity and skill to honor the Aloha spirit,” Backinoff said. “This year is the only time in the decade when Lei Day coincides with The National Day of Prayer, which was designated as the first Thursday in May by President Reagan in 1988.”
Backinoff said for those who can’t make the daytime events at the Kauai Museum or the Moikeha Building, IROK is hosting “an evening of pule” from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the St. Michael’s and All Angels Episcopal Church adjacent to the Lihue Public Library. This evening event, like the daytime event at the Moikeha Building, is open to everyone with the intent to make offerings of prayer toward the dreams we share for a safe, sustainable, healthy, peaceful, joyful island and world with respect for our differences.
“This evening event, as well as the Moikeha Building gathering, will be opened by Kumu Sabra Kauka,” Backinoff said. “The evening will include ‘Amazing Grace’ sun by Karen Dickensen, accompanied by Alan Van Zee, and several other musical offerings between spoken word and silences.”
“We will be creating a group lei in process, offered by Suzzane Kobayashi, who was ordained as Episcopal priest in Kapaa this past year,” Backinoff said. “Let us come together to count our blessings and find common ground for our future.”
